SAFC announces new Proligo reagents at the TIDES conference

SAFC Supply Solutions, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group (Nasdaq: SIAL), has announced the launch of a cluster of new Proligo Reagent products at the TIDES Oligonucleotide and Peptide Conference in Carlsbad, California. The new offerings include a line of four Pharmadite™* amidites for oligo-based drugs, a TFA C6 Linker, and key additions to the existing line-up of RNA amidites.

Through its Proligo Reagents brand, SAFC Supply Solutions is a leader in DNA and RNA phosphoramidites, and the ancillary reagents used in oligonucleotide synthesis. SAFC-Hamburg serves as the major manufacturing facility for these products.

New Pharmadite Amidites:

A key starting material for oligo-based drugs, Pharmadite amidites represent a new class of standard protected DNA phosphoramidites with a highly controlled impurity profile, exceptional overall purity, and non-animal derived starting materials. Prepared from DMT-protected nucleosides and a phosphitylating agent, the new products include DMT-dA(bz) Pharmadite, DMT-dC(bz) Pharmadite, DMT-dG(ib) Pharmadite and DMT-dT Pharmadite.

The high level of control in the ISO 9001-certified manufacturing process at the SAFC-Hamburg production facility have allowed a purity specification of greater than or equal to 99.5% for these materials. Pharmadite products fulfil all the requirements for starting materials in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients as defined in the EMEA “Note for guidance on chemistry of the new active substance,” ** making them suitable building blocks for oligonucleotide drugs.

TFA-Hexylamino Linker:

Phosphoramidite technology is ideal for the modification of synthetic oligos with covalently attached linkers, and the new Proligo Reagents trifluoroacetyl-protected amino linker is offered with a C6 spacer.

The base labile TFA group is easily removed during cleavage and deprotection. The amino linker is coupled with standard synthesis protocols, identical to the coupling of DNA monomer phosphoramidites.

Standard RNA Amidites:

Four new products, including DMT-2’O-TBDMS-rA(bz), DMT-2’O-TBDMS-rC(ac), DMT-2’O-TBDMS-rG(ib) and DMT-2’O-TBDMS-rU, are now offered to the highly-specialized and evolving RNA market segment. These products complement the existing SAFC Proligo TAC-protected RNA amidites, allowing the choice between using standard synthesis protocols or fast deprotection chemistries.

Commenting on the new products, Dr. Andreas Wolter of SAFC Supply Solutions Proligo Reagents noted, “The new introductions at TIDES are strategic additions to a market-proven range. While carefully targeted for particular applications in the oligo market, they share the consistent quality, tight specifications and reliability required by our customers and traditionally available at our Hamburg manufacturing facility.”

The former Proligo Group, acquired from Degussa, joined the SAFC family in April 2005. The business was originally established in Germany in 1986, with subsequent refinement for production of DNA and RNA phosphoramidite monomers.

*Pharmadite is a trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P.

** EMEA: European Medicines Agency, http://www.emea.eu.int